An application of fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy AHP for multi-criteria evaluation model of fourth party logistics

TLDR

Modern businesses operate in a highly uncertain, dynamic environment that demands continuous IT adoption and supply‑chain integration, often achieved by outsourcing to fourth‑party logistics providers. The study aims to identify and weight evaluation criteria for selecting an appropriate 4PL company to aid business decision‑making.

Abstract

In the global tide, modern businesses face a high uncertainty and heavy variation of degree in the dynamic environment. Organizations have to maintain their competitive advantage by applying IT continuously; therefore, the condition forces business models to differ greatly from before. When businesses want to achieve supply chain integration, they may outsource their parts of businesses to fourth party logistics (4PLs) company. 4PLs company plays the role of integrator, which provides both information technology and supply chain integration capabilities. It not only creates different values of each segment in the supply chain, but also elevates the effects in supply chain management for business. Therefore, how to select an appropriate 4PLs company is an important decision for business. Through this study, we can understand these evaluation criteria and their weights, so as to aid the selection of 4PLs for businesses.